


The Dragon Keeper

by CasTheUnicorn, KingOfBingleblorg



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Dragon Balthazar, Dragon Gabriel, Dragon Keeper Castiel, Eventual Castiel/Dean Winchester, Implied/Referenced Character Death, King Crowley, Knight Dean, Knight Sam, Sad Castiel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-17
Updated: 2015-10-17
Packaged: 2018-04-26 19:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5016751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasTheUnicorn/pseuds/CasTheUnicorn, https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingOfBingleblorg/pseuds/KingOfBingleblorg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>1000AD- Crowley's king and the Kingdom of Hell has gone to...well, Hell. Knights Dean and Sam Winchester have long given up hope of finding the former king, Chuck, to try and restore the kingdom to its former state. The kingdom's dragon keeper and Dean's best friend, Castiel, has been exiled, and finds himself living alone, deep in the Purgatory forests surrounding Hell. Will King Chuck ever be found? Can Hell become Elysium once again?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Balthazar!" Castiel scolded, booping the dragon on his nose, "Stop trying to bite Anna's tail! Do you not remember what happened last time?"  
The sapphire and caramel coloured dragon looked up slowly and blinked his deep, purple eyes, seemingly grinning up at the dragon keeper.  
"Yes, I know it's got nice colours, but you don't eat other dragon's tails!" Cas sighed, rolling his eyes when Balthazar slowly stretched his neck, biting down on Anna's tail.  
"I told you so." He muttered as Anna spun around and shot flames at Balthazar's face, "You never listen."

Castiel Novak had been the kingdom's dragon keeper since he was a boy, being one the only people in Hell brave enough to approach the creatures, the only other two being his best friend, Dean Winchester, and his younger brother Sam. Dean and Sam were both knights, serving under the current King, Crowley. Whenever they saw Cas, in his almost non existent free time, they complained about how Hell was a lot better when it was still called Elysium and was ruled by King Chuck, before his sudden disappearance. The Knights had searched for Chuck for months, but eventually they had to appoint a new king, and Crowley was the only option. Cas, of all the people that lived in Hell, was probably the most upset about this. It was common knowledge that Crowley did not like dragons, seeing them as pests and nothing more. Because of this, Cas did his best to keep himself and his dragons away from the king, hoping that Crowley would maybe just let them be.

The sound of swords clashing and scraping the stone walls outside met Cas' ears and he looked around in panic.  
"Cas!" Dean yelled as he crashed through the door, making Michael and Samandriel squawk worriedly, "You need to get out of here now!"  
Sam rushed in after Dean, slamming the doors shut and pulling the wooden log over them quickly.  
"What?" Cas frowned, "What's happening?"  
"Crowley's given the order to kill all the dragons Cas. You as well if you're seen." Sam told him, hurriedly shoving Cas towards the back door of the room, "You need to run!"  
"Let me just get their things, then we can..."  
"No!" Dean interrupted, "What do you think is going to happen if the dragons aren't here Cas? Do you think Crowley will just take back the order? He'll hunt you all down and kill you all! You need to leave!"  
Cas scowled, "I am not leaving them behind Dean. It's my duty to look after them."  
"And it's my duty to look after you Cas. Go!" Dean growled, pushing Cas out of the back door. Cas heard the barricade being dragged into place behind it and started pounding ruthlessly on the door.  
"Let me back in Dean!" He shouted, "I'm not leaving them! They're my family!"  
"Go!" Was the last thing Cas heard Dean shout before the building before him erupted in flames. The last roars of his dragons met his ears as he ran into the night, tears making tracks down his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Cas stumbled over a tree root and landed on the floor with a thump. The orange blaze of flames still rose in the distance, and Cas let out a loud sob when he saw the flickering light. They were all gone. All of his family, gone. Maybe if the doors were unblocked they'd have had a chance, but he realised the impossibility of this as he had heard the door being blocked behind him. Wait, Dean and Sam were still in the room when he'd been kicked out. Cas started to panic. What if they were still in the building? Surely the other Knights would have let them out first? The door would have to have been opened to light the fire, Cas reasoned with himself, Sam and Dean wouldn't have been in the building. But his dragons... Balthazar, Anna, Michael, Samandriel, Lucifer. All of them gone. Another sob ripped itself from Cas' throat as he slowly stood back up, turning his back on the flames. Slowly, he started forwards again, sliding his feet out, carefully feeling for any tree roots in his way.

"Cas!" Someone called out behind him. Dean. Castiel grimaced and moved behind the nearest tree. "Cas, where are you?" Cas shut his eyes, trying to merge with the tree, hoping Dean wouldn't find him. It was all his fault, after all. He wouldn't let him save his dragons. "Cas, look I'm sorry! But you're more important than those dragons!"

Cas let out another quite sob.

"Dean. I don't think that's the right approach to this!" Sam hissed, "I don't think he'll see things the same way, will he?"

Cas heard a few more muttered whispers before Dean called out to him once again.

"Ok, I'm sorry Cas! I didn't mean to sound like I didn't care about the dragons, of course I did! Please just come out and speak to us, we just want to make sure you're alright."

"Please Cas." Sam begged. Slowly, Cas stepped out from behind the tree, glaring at the two brothers.

"What do you want?" He growled, shuffling backwards quickly when they stepped forwards. Dean looked hurt, and lifted his hand a bit, almost like he was reaching out to Cas.

"Cas?" He muttered, "Please don't be mad. It was Crowley's orders. You know we couldn't stop it."

"But you could have helped me save them Dean! You could have let them fly away!"

"And risk Crowley finding you with them and slaughtering you as well?" Dean snarled, charging towards Cas and pushing him back against one of the trees, "I wasn't going to risk losing you as well Cas. You're my best friend."

Cas shoved Dean away from him and stumbled away from the tree.

"And I thought you were my best friend!" He sobbed, "But you just left them to die! Just leave me alone Dean!"

He turned to storm away, but Sam's hand held onto his shoulder.

"Alright Cas," Sam sighed, "We'll leave you be. We just needed to tell you...Crowley's ordered you to be exiled. If Crowley's knights see you anywhere near hell, you'll be killed."

"Don't you think I might be aware of that", Cas retorted, his current resent for the brothers, especially Dean, evident in his tone.

"Look, there's a cave just a few miles North of here, completely abandoned- you should go there.", responded Sam, as he observed the tormented scowl upon Cas' face showed no signs of alleviation. "I know it's not ideal, and even less pleasant, but you're...". After pausing for just a moment, Sam continued. "We're not exactly surrounded by many options. We can send food, supplies, whatever it is you need. We just want you to be safe, Cas."

"Everything I needed just burned up in that building, and frankly I'm beginning to wish that I burnt with it." Cas scowled, trying to push Sam's hand off his shoulder. Sam, after loosening his grip, detached his hand from Cas' shoulder. He patted it lightly, while displaying on his face the result of his weak and unconvincing attempt at a smile.

"I suppose, at least for now, it's goodbye then." Cas watched longingly as the two brothers hesitantly turned away, beginning their reluctant retreat without their once close friend, crying silently in his new-found absence of purpose. His eyes focused on Dean, who after making a mysterious hurried gesture to Sam, allowed his eyes to fall one final time upon Castiel's traumatised form. At least, that was the assumption made by Cas, who gloomily receeded into the tangle of vegetation surrounding Hell.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys :) Thank you so much for reading! This is my first fanfic so any feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Still a work in progress, please bare with me! :)


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